Rainer Rother

Dr. Rainer Rother is head of the Berlinale's Retrospective.

Born in 1956, studied German literature and history, completed doctorate in 1988.

1989-1991 lecturer at the University of Hanover. 1991-March 2006, director of the cinematheque of the German Historical Museum (Berlin), where he was also exhibition curator (incl. The German Empire of Images. Ufa 1917-1945; The Final Days of Humanity. Images of the First World War; Paths of the Germans 1949-1999. Unity and Law and Freedom).

Published primarily articles on film history in journals such as Merkur, Freibeuter, filmdienst and filmwärts as well as regular contributions for various newspapers (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Welt, Frankfurter Rundschau, Berliner Zeitung). Countless book contributions and lexicon entries. Published books: “The Present of History. An Attempt Through Film and Contemporary Literature” (1990), “Leni Riefenstahl. The Seduction of Talent” (2000). Works as publisher include: “Images Tell History. The Historian in the Cinema” (1991). “Film Dictionary” (1997), “Myths of Nations. Peoples in Film” (1998) as well as various exhibition catalogues.

Since 2001, Rother has been a member of the selection committee of the Competition of the Berlin International Film Festival. 2004 to 2006 co-curator of the Berlinale series Selling Democracy.

In April 2006, Rother was appointed artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek and head of the Berlinale’s Retrospective section in 2006.